JADE
Roman was doing so much for me that I wanted to pay him back.
I couldn’t afford to cover the hospital bills in full—not with my measly salary—but maybe I could get him a gift.
“Do you mind if I pick your brain on something?” I asked one of my co-workers after work.
“My brain?” he repeated, an amused expression on his face.
I took a deep breath and nodded.
I had no idea what Roman liked.
If I were to get him a neutral gift, then I would need help from a man.
“Yes.
I am about to buy a gift for my…
friend.” The word felt wrong the moment I said it, but I couldn’t say ‘husband’.
That was going to raise a lot of questions.
“Yes…
for my friend.
I want to say thank you.
Do you think you can help me pick something out?” I asked.
He stared at me like I had lost my mind.
My eyes stayed wide with expectation, hoping he wouldn’t turn me down.
“I can help you,” he said finally, and I sighed in relief.
“You’d just have to treat me to a meal after.”
“Of course, I can do that.”
It was just a friendly meal between colleagues.
I was sure Roman wouldn’t mind at all.
It was harmless; it had to be.
Peter had been very helpful in picking out the gift.
Without him, I would have been completely lost in the store.
He helped me narrow down my options, and I picked a tie and a wristwatch to match.
I knew it was nowhere near anything Roman Volkov would be caught dead wearing, but I still wanted him to know how grateful I was.
Even if he was only doing it because of the contract.
“Thank you so much for your help,” I said as we sat down, waiting for our meal to arrive.
I had picked a place close to the store where we had shopped.
Since he requested dinner, I didn’t want to delay it and let it turn into something more complicated later.
“It’s nice that you’re picking out a gift for your…
friend.” His eyes twinkled with curiosity.
It almost felt like he knew exactly what was going on.
We ate dinner, talking mostly about work.
Otherwise, it would have been painfully awkward.
“Let me drop you off,” he said after dinner.
“I can manage,” I said quickly, shaking my head.
Even though I took public transport, I couldn’t let him drop me at the house.
If he saw the mansion I lived in, everything would change—and I wasn’t ready for that.
“Are you sure?
It might be on my way.”
“I’m sure.”
When I stepped into the house, it was dark—which was strange because it was only a few minutes past eight.
The lights usually stayed on until Roman got home.
Could he already be back?
I planned to give him the gift during breakfast tomorrow.
I tiptoed inside, trying not to make a sound.
But the moment I stepped into the living room, I froze.
The air felt cold—too cold.
“Where were you?”
The voice was familiar, but it still made my entire body shake.
My heart jumped into my throat.
My hand flew to my chest, beating rapidly.
I hadn’t expected to see him sitting in the dark.
Was he waiting for me?
That thought alone made my chest tighten.
“I just got off work,” I lied, clutching the bags tightly to my side, hoping he wouldn’t notice them.
I wasn’t ready to give him the gift yet.
He scoffed and stood up.
He clapped once, and the lamp beside him lit up.
It didn’t brighten the entire room, but it was enough.
“Off work?
At this time?
I didn’t know the art gallery stayed open this late,” he said slowly.
He was probing.
He already knew something was off.
He stood with his legs apart, both hands in his pockets, as he rocked slightly.
I swallowed and shifted on my feet.
His tone alone was enough to make me want to confess everything.
“Yeah, there was some…”
“I came by your office,” he cut in.
I froze.
“They said you had already clocked out.
So where were you?
Or did you start another job?”
I averted my gaze.
Before I could even think, he moved.
He was suddenly right in front of me.
He grabbed my elbow and pulled me closer.
The bags slipped from my hands and fell to the floor between us.
He stared at me like he could force the truth out of me just by looking.
“You’re hurting me, Roman,” I whispered.
My voice came out steadier than I expected.
His grip loosened slightly, though he didn’t let go completely.
“Tell me, dear wife,” he said, his voice low, “why were you cosying up with a man, shopping and having dinner with him?”
“Did you follow me?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I wasn’t going to stand there and be interrogated like I had done something wrong.
“Did you have someone follow me?”
I hadn’t expected this reaction.
“Remember one thing, Jade,” he said.
“You are married…
to me.
I do not appreciate you being friendly with other men.”
I exhaled slowly.
This was turning into something unnecessary.
“I wasn’t being friendly,” I said, air-quoting the word, fully aware of what he meant.
If he thought I was cheating on him, then he clearly didn’t know me at all.
“I was trying to buy you a gift,” I said finally.
“To say thank you.
My colleague helped me choose it, and I treated him to dinner as thanks.”
He let go of my arm completely.
His gaze stayed on me, searching—measuring.
I bent down and picked up the bag, then pushed it toward him.
“Here.
You can check.”
He took it, his fingers brushing against mine.
My stomach flipped.
I pulled my hand back quickly.
“You bought me a gift?” he asked.
“Why?”
“Because you’ve been helping me,” I said again.
“I just wanted to say thank you.”
He opened the box.
His eyes lit up—just slightly.
I didn’t know why, but that small reaction made something in my chest loosen.
“I know it’s probably not something you would wear,” I added quickly.
“But it’s still a gift.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly, closing the box.
“But you don’t need to say thank you by buying these gifts.
It’s my responsibility.”
That feeling again tightened around my chest.
He was clearly drawing the line as boldly as he could.
Then he looked at me again.
“You know, next time, instead of assuming I’m cheating, you could just ask.”
“Next time,” he replied, “you don’t need to lie.”
“Touché.”
He wasn’t wrong.
I nodded.
I didn’t really have an excuse.
Even if I wanted it to be a surprise, I could have handled it better.
“Always remember,” he said, stepping closer.
The box was pressed between us, the only thing keeping our bodies apart.
“You are my wife.”
I swallowed.
The words sounded simple—but there was something deeper beneath them.
Something unspoken.
I nodded slowly.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”